Copy Cat Got Your Tongue?
by bonesfan9
Summary: Booth and Brennan have recently moved in together and seem to be headed for domestic bliss. That is until someone with a vendetta against our favorite duo plots to bring our favorite partners down along with all of their friends by imitating some of their most challenging cases...
1. Chapter 1

Copy Cat Got Your Tongue?

**A/N: Okay, so this will be a multi-chapter story. This one is just a little introduction chapter! Hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think! Any ideas, comments, critiques are always welcome!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything...blah blah blah you get the idea**

Chapter One

_"How do you know who I am?", the younger man asked. _

_"Oh, I've been watching you for quite some time now. I had to make sure I selected the right man to be my partner", the older man replied. It was true, he had spent quite a bit of time monitering the young man's behavior since he had returned from overseas. The young man had been a sniper in the Army, not the best, but he would do. He really only required three things of the young man: he needed to be a decent shot, a loner, and completely susceptible to a stronger personality. _

_"You're gonna make me your partner?" the young man asked in amazement. Ever since he had been dishonorably discharged, he had been feeling unworthy and depressed. This was saying something, considering he had always felt awkward and out-of-place. He never had many friends and he had little, if any, contact with his family. He had always had anger issues that the many therapists his parents sent him to hadn't been able to quell. In fact, before this man came along, he had almost reached his breaking point. But this man thought he was useful and worthy of trust. He would do anything to please him, anything at all._

_"Of course, who better than you? I've handpicked you from a myriad of qualified young men. You were the best without a doubt." This was too easy, he thought to himself, as the younger man's eyes glazed over in admiration. The "dream team" was finally going to get what they deserved and it was all going to be at his hand._

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"Honey, I'm home!" Booth yelled from the doorway. Brennan chuckled from where she stood in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner.

"In here, darling!" she called, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She went back to her task, until she felt his arms snake around her waist from behind. He placed a quick peck on her cheek and let go so she could get back to her task.

"You know, Bones, I never would've pegged you for being so domestic. Next thing you know, we'll be married and you'll be poppin' out a few kids."

"Now, now, don't get ahead of yourself, Booth. We've only been living together for a month." Brennan said. Booth heard her words, but he was more focused on what she didn't say. There was no mention of marriage being an antiquated ritual, giving him more evidence of just how far they'd come. He smiled, thinking of the small, black box hidden in his sock drawer. He'd had it for a while, just waiting for her to be ready. He was beginning to think that time may be sooner than he thought.

"I know, Bones, it was just a joke. So, how was your day?" he asked, honestly curious. It was rare she got home before he did.

"Well, Wendell and I worked almost the whole day on that Civil War reconstruction I was telling you about, but we finally finished. It's been kind of nice not having any cases recently. I've been able to catch up on a lot of backlog. Although, admittedly, I do miss working with you. Which is why, I decided to come home early and as Angela put it, 'Make dinner for my hot, sexy FBI boyfriend'." She smiled as she looked up and saw him grinning as cockily as ever. He got up and walked over to her. She stopped what she was doing and turned towards him.

"So, you think I'm sexy?" He asked, an amused, cocky expression all over his face.

"Of course, that's all you heard." Brennan said amused. "And if you were listening correctly, you'd know it was Angela who called you sexy." She turned back to her task, trying to get a rise out of him. He stepped close behind her, stilled her arms with his own, and lowered his mouth to her neck, kissing softly up and down the spot he knew drove her crazy. To her credit, she was doing an admirable job of pretending to be unaffected.

"So, you don't think I'm sexy?" Booth whispered softly in her ear. This just about undid Brennan, but she wasn't giving in that easy.

"I don't know, Booth, so far I'm unconvinced." Brennan responded jokingly. He accepted her challenge, whirling her around to face him. He attacked her mouth with a passionate kiss, making her knees buckle, as one hand roved up and down her waist and back, while the other tangled in her hair.

"Well, Dr. Brennan, since you're such a dedicated scientist, I think we should conduct an experiment to show you just how sexy I really am." Brennan chuckled darkly at his suggestion and continued laughing as he swung her in to his arms and began to carry her towards the bedroom.

"But, Booth, what about dinner?" Brennan asked between laughs. Booth set her down on the bed and began crawling towards her.

"Dr. Brennan, aren't you the one always telling me a little thing like hunger shouldn't get in the way of scientific inquiry?" They laughed, until all they could think about was the other, and they continued to enjoy a small piece of their domestic bliss.

Little did they know, at that very moment, a very evil man was about to set a plan in action that would ensure moments like these were numbered.

**Next up: We find out just what the evil mastermind has planned for our favorite partners! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: If you've read my other story, I haven't forgotten about it, just taking a break while I decide what direction to take it. This is where this story gets a little angsty...anyways read, comment, review! Hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything...:)**

Chapter Two

_The young man's stomach turned at the sight before him. He'd seen death up close and personal in the army, but it had mostly been quick and had never been treated as an "artform" as the older man had called it. This was gruesome and grotesque and his partner seemed to be enjoying this a little too much. She had been a beautiful, young girl. That had been the instructions: find a pretty, petite, blonde coed. He had gone to the nearest college and flirted, luring the girl to where his partner lay in wait. He had to admit, it had been a rush, pretending to be someone he wasn't. For once, he wasn't awkward and young man watched as the man cut a lock of the girl's hair and placed it in a cardboard box._

_"You remember what to do, right?" the older man asked, as he handed the box to his "partner". "It's critical you do exactly as I say"_

_"Yes, I remember. Was it really necessary to kill her though? I mean you only needed a lock of hair" the young man asked, horrified by what he had just seen._

_"Oh, you'll come to see there's a reason for everything I do. The hair is just one piece of a horrific puzzle that will be the undoing of Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, and their friends. Are you questioning my methods? Because if you aren't sure of your role in this, there are plenty of men who would gladly fill your place." _

_"Oh no, sir. I'm up for the task. I apologize for doubting you. I'll send the box with the flowers. Daffodils, right? And don't worry, I won't forget what to write on the card." As terrified as he was of what the older man was capable of doing, he couldn't risk losing the one person who had accepted him. He scurried off to finish his task. The older man watched him go, smiling the whole time, excited that the first part of his plan was about to be set into action._

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Booth and Brennan walked into the lab holding hands, the only kind of affection they ever showed in the work environment...well at least in front of people. They walked over to Brennan's office, stopping occasionally to say 'Good Morning' to passersby or talk about an aspect of their current Jane Doe case. When they finally reached the door of her office, Brennan walked in ahead of Booth to find a huge display of daffodils sitting on her desk with a small square shaped present sitting next to it. Brennan gasped in surprise and turned around to look at Booth.

"Did you do this, Booth? They're beautiful!" She walked forward for a closer examination of the flowers. She turned back to look at Booth, awaiting his answer. Booth looked just as shocked as he did.

"Sorry, Bones, I'd like to take credit, but it wasn't me." Booth shrugged his shoulders, looking at the display, noticing a card perched on top. "What does the card say?" Booth asked, anxious to know who was sending Brennan her favorite flowers. Brennan carefully untucked the card and opened it, reading it silently.

It said: _Open the box and you will see a little blond present to you from me. This little gift is only the start, but don't you worry, this game isn't for the faint of heart. If you dissect this clue, which I know you'll do, you'll find the rest of the girl with eyes of blue._

Brennan gasped and dropped the card in horror. She met Booth's eyes and he could read the fear in them. He bent down, picked up the card, and read it for himself.

"Damn it!" Booth said, angrily. "Another psychopath." Booth looked up to see Brennan unwrapping the package and opening the box. "Bones, what the hell are you doing? You don't know what's in there. We should x-ray it first!" He could only too clearly remember the incident when Cam had opened Caroline Epps' skull filled with poison.

"Too late, Booth. Its a lock of blonde hair. Let's get it to Cam for DNA and the flowers to Hodgins for analysis." Brennan said in her serious, get-the-job-done tone. She started to walk toward the door, but Booth grabbed her by the arm, gently pulling her back.

"I want you to be careful, Bones. No more opening strange boxes. I'm gonna tighten security around here and have all incoming deliveries screened, but everything gets done by the book, okay? No rushing. I...this is gonna sound really stupid, but does this remind you of Epps at all? I mean, I know he's dead, but the similarities are undeniable. Cryptic message, dead young, blonde girl...it's all starting to sound a lot like Epps."

"Booth, you are springing to conclusions. It cannot be Epps, we know he's dead. And we have no way of knowing if whoever this hair came from is dead." Brennan said, refusing to admit that her brain came to that conclusion as well.

"I'm not _'jumping_' to conclusions, Bones. This could be a copy cat. And if that's true, it's you he wants. I'm not taking any chances here. You'll stay in the lab, until we catch this bastard, you understand?" Booth looked at her seriously, begging her with his eyes not to argue. But then she wouldn't be the woman he fell in love with.

"Booth, just because we are sharing a domicile does not mean that you get to control me. I'll take precautions, but I will do whatever needs doing in order to solve this case, in or out of the lab." Brennan huffed angrily. Booth just glared at her, his temper flaring, because of worry.

"Like hell you will. I don't care if I have to handcuff you to the forensic platform, unless you're with me, you are NOT leaving this lab." Booth said angrily. Brennan's eyes flashed with indignation.

"Booth, we'll have to discuss this later, when you aren't in alpha male mode. This is not what I signed up for. I was fine by myself long before you got here and I'll be fine after you're gone. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to inform the rest of the team of what's happened." Brennan saw the hurt in his eyes. She hadn't meant what she said, but she just wanted him to stop trying to control her. She stormed out to the forensics platform, where Cam, Hodgins, and Angela were all blissfully unaware of their new case. Booth took a second to compose himself. He couldn't believe she'd said that. Maybe the ring would have to stay in the sock drawer for a little longer. Did she really think of them as temporary? He pushed these thoughts aside as he tried to focus on the matter at hand. As he walked up to the forensics platform, everyone was already working hard on deciphering the wherabouts of their latest victim.

"Alright, someone's gotta say it..." Hodgins said, looking up from the flowers he was analyzing, "does this remind anyone of Epps?" Both Cam and Angela agreed, while Brennan proceeded to lecture them about conjecture. They briefly chatted about what they hoped to glean from the materials they were given and Booth decided he was more useful at the Hoover, organizing security for the Jeffersonian.

"Alright, well I'm gonna head over to the office to see what I can do about extra security. Call me when you find something." And with that, Booth stalked out the door, without so much as a glance toward Brennan. Everyone noticed the seemingly icy nature between the two partners as soon as he departed. He usually at least gave Brennan a peck of the cheek when he was leaving.

"Is everything all right with Seeley, Dr. Brennan?" Cam asked curiously. She had known Booth for a long time and she knew the difference between when he was troubled about work or about something personal. This was definitely personal.

"Of course, Dr. Saroyan, he's just very focused on catching this whoever sent these flowers. There's not really much for me to do, so I'll be in my office, if you find anything." Brennan escaped to safety of her office, away from the all too knowing eyes of her friends. She knew she had hurt Booth by implying their relationship was temporary. They would discuss it at home. For now, they both needed to be focused on what seemed to be a very difficult case. She had no idea at the time of just how very trying the case would turn out to be.

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_"You have done very well so far. I knew you were the right man for the job. Now, I need to you to take our pretty, little friend here and dump her exactly where I told you. Don't forget to leave the note." The young man beamed at the words, happy he was pleasing his partner._

_"Dont worry, sir", the young man said, as he carefully placed the shower curtain wrapped body in the trunk of the car. "I won't let you down."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

Chapter 3

_Now this was something he could do without question. This didn't involve hurting or killing anyone. As a boy, he had enjoyed being alone. Often he would break into locked warehouses or closed store fronts just for the thrill and to ensure his peace. The plan was for him to pick the lock while the older man disabled the alarm and security cameras. He didn't even think to ask how the older man was so gifted with electronics. When this task was done, the two men walked into the front foyer of the ideallic starter home they had just broken into. It was modestly sized brick home, 2 stories, a few bedrooms, an impressive kitchen, and a comfortable living room. Hell, it even came with a white picket fence. Immediately, they set about their next task. They put small electrical bugs all throughout the home. They were so small and in such discrete place that they were virtually undetectable._

_"Our task here is done. Let's get out of here before they come home. I'll reset the alarm," the older man instructed._

_"Who lives here?", the younger man asked curiously._

_"Well, my young friend, this is here the home of the honorable Special Agent Seeley Booth and Dr. Temperance Brennan. This way we can watch them fall apart from the inside out", the older man chuckled darkly. Everything was going just according to plan. It was almost time for phase two._

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Brennan was sitting alone in her office while Cam and Hodgins worked on the hair and the flowers. She tried writing the next chapter of her new book, but she couldn't focus. When her mind wasn't on her harsh words to Booth, it was trying to break apart the puzzle that was their newest case. If she was being honest with herself, it did remind her a lot of the Epps cases. The team had barely solved those cases without a casualty. Logically there was no way it could be Epps. It was probably just the work of a sloppy copy cat. Her train of thought was broken when Cam came walking briskly into her office.

"Dr. Brennan, you're gonna want to see this." And with that Brennan followed Cam out to the forensics platform, ready to hear what they had discovered. Hodgins went first.

"Alright, whoever this is is very clever. At first I assumed the flowers came from a flower shop, but see here? The roots are not cleanly trimmed and the soil they're in doesn't match the composition of common potting soil. I think these came from a garden somewhere. I'm working on narrowing down the location. If I can get a definite location, I think that may be where her body is." Hodgins finished and took a deep breath, having forgotten to during his spiel.

"That's very good, Dr. Hodgins. Let me know when you have a location. Cam, did you find anything on the hair?", Brennan asked.

"Yes, there were specks of blood in the hair. I conducted a DNA analysis on both the hair and the blood and they were an exact match. So at the very least, she was bleeding when her hair was cut."

"She?", Brennan asked, wanting to get all the facts.

"Yep, according the DNA, our victim is female." Cam answered confidently. Brennan began to walk back to office but turned back around when a thought occured to her.

"Dr. Saroyan, did you check the card or the vase for fingerprints?", Brennan asked, hoping to find a quick end to this case.

"I sure did. Unfortunately, it was wiped clean. I couldn't even find a partial."

"Thanks, Cam. Good work, Hodgins. Let me know if there's anything else." Brennan began to walk back to her office when she heard Cam calling after her.

"Dr. Brennan, you might want to call Booth and let him know." Brennan felt her stomach sink. She knew Booth wouldn't want to talk to her, but she didn't want to air their personal problems for the whole lab to know about.

"Alright, thanks Cam, I'll call him right now." Brennan walked back into her office and sat back down at her desk. She grabbed her cell phone and just stared at it for a few minutes, dreading calling him and hearing the emotionless voice she knew he would use to hide his pain. When she decided she couldn't wait anymore, she dialed his number. It took a few rings, but he finally picked up.

"Booth", he declared shortly. _Like you don't know who's calling_, Brennan thought.

"Hey, Booth. Dr. Saroyan and Dr. Hodgins found out some interesting information about the case." She could hear the no nonsense tone she was using. It sounded foreign to her ears in comparison with their usual playful banter. He remained quiet, while she repeated everything she had learned from Jack and Cam.

"Huh, well have Hodgins call me when he narrows down the location. I'm working on arranging security for the lab, so I've gotta go."

"Wait!", Brennan exclaimed, "When are you going to come get me to go home?", Brennan asked innocently. There was a long silence, during which Brennan knew Booth was deciding how angry he was.

"Listen, Bones, I'm gonna be here pretty late. Can you ask Angela to give you a ride home?" Apparently, he had decided he was pretty angry. She was quiet for a moment, trying to make sure her voice would remain steady when she answered.

"Sure Booth. How late do you think you'll be?" Brennan asked. She wanted to make sure they talked tonight.

"Don't wait up, Bones." And with that the line went dead. He had hung up on her. There was no 'I love you' or 'Make sure you get something to eat'. No emotion whatsoever. Although, she asked herself, what were you expecting? You basically told him that this was just temporary. Why had she said that? She knew they weren't temporary. Lately she had been picturing herself at their wedding and then,in a few more years, with kids running around. She could picture forever with Booth, which is not something super logical Temperance Brennan ever thought she'd be doing. But if she was going to be honest with herself, there was still a part of her that was just waiting for Booth to wake up one morning and realize she wasn't good enough. Everyone else in her life who loved her had left, why should he be any different? It was getting late, so she decided she better catch Angela before she left.

As she walked into her best friend's office, the artist was working on the facial reconstruction of a 1000 year old skeletonized warrior.

"Hey, sweetie. Hodgins and I are gonna grab a bite to eat at the diner after work, if you and Booth wanna join?" Brennan shot her a friend a small grin.

"Thanks, Ang, but I actually came in here to ask if I can catch a ride home. Booth is working late and can't come get me." More like _doesn't want to_, Brennan thought to herself. Angela considered herself to be a fairly perceptive person. She had noticed the tension earlier when Booth was leaving and figured this was too much of a coincidence not to be related. Booth was in here almost every day trying to pry her from her science. If she factored in the look of worry and sadness on her friend's face, she figured they had gotten into some kind of argument.

"You know what, sweetie. Why don't you and I go to the diner and have girl time? I'll take you home after. Hodgins is still working on narrowing down the location, and since I'm eating for two now, I'm starved." Both women laughed and Brennan actually could use some of her friend's advice right now. She agreed and they were on their way after checking in with Hodgins and Cam. Hodgins was having some trouble, but figured he would have a location by the morning.

The two women sat at the diner and ordered. When the waitress left, Angela decided it was time to get the scoop.

"Alright, Bren, what's going on with you and Booth?", Angela asked knowingly. Brennan took a deep breath and began to explain.

"Booth jumped to the conclusion that because whoever this is is copying Epps, that I am a target. He _ordered _me not to leave the lab. Can you believe that? He actually gave me an order. I'm not a dog! Anyway, I was just so angry, so I basically said that I don't need him to protect me, because I did fine on my own before him and I'll be fine after." When she finished, Brennan looked down at the table, not wanting to see the disappointed in her friend's eyes.

"Brennan!", Angela exclaimed, shocked that their argument had gone this far. "I know that you are independent and Booth can be over protective, but it's just because he cares. He loves you, Bren, more than I think you know. I think you're trying to push him away, because for some reason, you still think he's gonna leave you. I don't know what else you want him to do to prove it to you, but I can assure you, that man's not going anywhere. Booth has every right to be mad. You need to go to him and grovel, Bren."

"I will apologize and explain my actions, but I will not grovel." Brennan stated, seriously. Both women giggled and moved on to more enjoyable conversation, like names for the baby that would be here in six short months. When they were done, Angela drove Brennan home. Booth's car still wasn't in the driveway. The friends said their goodbyes and Brennan went inside. She headed straight into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. She was determined to wait up for Booth. She didn't think she could make it through another day worrying that he thought she wasn't invested in their relationship.

**A/N: Alrighty, so let me know what you guys think! Reviews are always appreciated! Also any ideas/comments/critiques are always welcome! Hope you enjoyed it! Next up, we have Booth and Brennan's fight and the our killers initiate phase two!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 4

Brennan sat on the couch in their living room drinking her umpteenth cup of coffee, desperately trying to stay awake. The anthropology journal she was reading was her only company. Normally the article on the evolution of primates would have piqued her interest, but tonight her mind was elsewhere. It was almost two o'clock in the morning and she had almost decided to call it a night and talk to Booth in the morning when she heard the front door open. She heard him put his briefcase down by the door and start to walk into the living room. When he came into her view, she saw him look up and he paused as his brain registered her sitting there still awake. She was trying to read his face and she sensed that he was almost irritated that she had waited up.

"Hey. What are you still doing up?", he said, feigning ignorance. He could smell the coffee in the air and he had seen the cup sitting on the table beside the couch. He knew why she waited up, he just didn't feel like talking about it. She was silent for a moment, trying to figure out how to begin.

"Booth, I waited up, because we need to talk. I said some things I didn't mean and I wanted to apologize", Brennan said earnestly. She started to go to him, but when she met his eyes she saw that none of the harshness she saw there had disappeared. His stance was very defensive and closed off, the veins in his neck pulsing in poorly disguised anger and hurt. He took a deep breath to try to keep the edge out of his voice.

"Bones, listen. We do need to talk, but not tonight. Im tired, you're tired. This is not the time to have this argument. I don't want to say anything I'll regret." This was not necessarily true. He was so frustrated with her a small part of him just wanted to get it out and let her know how much she hurt him.

"Booth, come on. I know what I said was hurtful and I'm truly sorry, but you were barking orders at me like I was your pet dog. Do this, don't do that! I was frustrated!", Brennan exclaimed, her voice raising. Booth just looked at her, trying to decide if they were actually going to do this. Against his better judgement, he took her bait.

"Maybe I could have phrased it differently, but what I was doing, I did because I love you and it would kill me if anything ever happened to you. What you said was not out of love. You say whatever you want and no one says anything because you're you and everyone just accepts that's how you are. But I know you, Temperance. Even you should've known that was low. Part of you wanted to hurt me and part of you is still afraid I'm going leave you! I don't know what else I can do to prove it to you and frankly, I'm getting tired of trying." Booth was breathing heavily when he was finished, having half-yelled his whole speech. Once he started, he just couldn't stop. She looked taken aback, trying to process what he had said. He had never spoken to her like this before and it felt more serious than she had originally thought it was going to be.

"What is that supposed to mean, Booth? Please explain, because apparently I'm incapable of picking up on social clues! Are you saying you're done?", Brennan almost screamed, hating herself when her voice shook as the tears began to fill her eyes. Booth hated to see her cry, but a this moment he couldn't bring himself to offer her any physical comfort.

"That's not what I said-", Booth started, but was interrupted by Brennan.

"And this is not all on me, Booth. This wouldn't upset you so much if part of you wasn't waiting for me to run for the meadows." Brennan said, a single tear sliding down her cheek. Booth couldn't bring himself to correct her and he was taken aback that she had seen through him, but he had to accept the truth in what she said. As happy as they were together, he was always afraid to push for more, fearing it would push her away.

"You're right", he said simply. "I am afraid. Everytime we move forward, I'm afraid it's gonna make you freak out." They both stood in the living room, facing each other, but attempting to look anywhere else. Booth looked upset and defeated, while Brennan had soft tears falling down her face. She was the one to break the silence.

"So, if I don't trust you and you don't trust me, where does this leave us?", Brennan asked sadly. Booth met her eyes and saw the sadness and fear in them. He wanted to go to her and tell her they were gonna be fine. He stood where he was though and tried to answer her as honestly as he could.

"I don't know. I really don't know", he said quietly. At his words a soft sob escaped from her mouth and her hand flew up to try and quiet herself. "Look, Bones, it's late. We're tired. This case is gonna be a tough one. Why don't we get some sleep and we can sort this out later?" Brennan just nodded her head sadly and started to head to the bedroom. He followed her, but instead of getting in bed beside her, he grabbed a pair of sweat pants from his drawer and began to leave to the room.

"Where are you going?" Brennan asked softly. Booth looked at her lying in bed, eyes red and voice hoarse. He almost changed his mind.

"I, uh, I think I'm gonna sleep in the guest room. I think it would be good for both of us to have some space. Goodnight, Bones." Before she could respond he stepped out of the room and gently closed the door behind himself. Brennan would never admit it, but in the year and a half that she had been with Booth, she had gotten used to sleeping next to him. It felt strange being alone. She thought back to the previous night and was amazed at the difference a day could make. Last night they had been almost annoyingly happy and tonight he couldn't even share a room with her. She decided that tomorrow she would consult Angela about what she needed to do.

Little did she know, Angela was going to be a little tied up tomorrow...

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_The younger man stared down at the woman they had kidnapped. She was tall, slim, brunette and was apparently Dr. Brennan's best friend and someone named Hodgins' wife. They had followed her home after she dropped off Dr. Brennan. When she was out of her car, the younger man distracted her, asking for help, while the older man snuck up behind her and injected her with the syringe. They were currently trying to put her in an old car they found. Then the car would be put at the bottom of a construction pit and covered with hundreds of pounds of dirt. The older man said this part of our plan was directed toward Brennan and Hodgins. He kept saying they would be especially perturbed by it and he smiled darkly._

_"She's not gonna die in here though, right?", the younger man asked anxiously. She seemed like a nice person and he didn't want to think of her trapped in the car._

_"Not if her friends are as smart as they think they are." The older man chuckled darkly. The two men finished the rest of their work as quickly as possible. They only had until morning and then the construction crew would be back, completely oblivious to the horrors the woman beneath their feet was experiencing._

**A/N: I know, I know, pretty angsty, but we'll see what happens. Let me know what you think! I love reviews! :)**

**Next up: The search for Angela begins...and can Booth and Brennan make it work?**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_She woke up in complete darkness. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized she was sitting in a car…and then it all came flooding back. The young man who had asked her for help, the sharp pain she felt in her neck. 'Where am I?' she asked herself. She reached up to turn on the lights in the car. All she could see out the window was dirt. Instantly she figured out she was buried underground, just like Hodgins and Brennan were. 'I guess our killers copying the Gravedigger now', she thought. She began to hyperventilate, but soon realized that wasn't a good idea considering her limited air supply. All she could do was relax and have faith that her friends would find her…that was best for both her and the baby. She just hoped they would hurry…_

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After tossing and turning all night, Brennan was exhausted when her alarm had finally gone off. She turned off the alarm and rolled toward Booth's side of the bed for their daily morning snuggle. Her eyes snapped open when her reaching hand didn't come into contact with anything but her comforter. Their argument came back, fresh in her mind. She wanted to run into the guest room, jump on the bed, and apologize, but the problem was….he didn't need an apology and she didn't either. They both needed to trust the other and know that the other trusted them. Unfortunately, Brennan couldn't say that honestly right now. She didn't know if she could ever say it. She knew Booth loved her, she just was at a loss as to why. Maybe if they just calmly talked about, they could get to a place of mutual trust. She decided this was the best and most rational course of action, so she got out of bed, washed her face, brushed her teeth and walked down the hallway to the guestroom. She walked in the room, expecting to either find Booth asleep or getting ready in the bathroom. She saw neither. The bed had obviously been slept in, but there was no sign of Booth anywhere. She decided to check the rest of the house. She eventually found herself in the kitchen, after failing to find Booth anywhere else. She saw a note lying on the counter and went over to read it.

_Went in to work early, call me with any developments on case._

_Booth_

'I guess I'm driving myself to work this morning' she thought. They really needed to talk. She didn't think she could take much more of the cold shoulder. She showered, dressed, and ate some breakfast before finally heading off to work. Once at the Jeffersonian, she went straight to her office to check her mail. Almost as soon as she sat down behind her desk, Cam came in.

"Dr. Brennan, good morning! I was gonna go to the diner to grab some breakfast. Would you like to accompany me?"

"Cam, I just got to the office, why would I….wait a second. Did Booth ask you to make sure I remembered to eat?" Brennan asked incredulously. Brennan wasn't very good at reading people, but she could read the expression on Cam's face like a book: guilty as charged.

"What?! No, that's absurd. I don't get involved in the personal lives of my employees."

"Okay, Dr. Saroyan, well you can report back to Booth that I did, in fact, have breakfast. Although I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and I don't see why he would care, since we are currently having a disagreement."

"Dr. Brennan, with all due respect, I think you know he's always going to care. But I'll pass on your message." She began to walk out of the office, but turned around remembering something else. "By the way, Hodgins thinks he identified the location of our victim when you have a chance."

Brennan decided she would finish up the last couple pressing emails and then go and see what Hodgins found. But instead she found herself thinking about Booth. Despite all they were going through, he still needed to know she was taking care of herself. The rational part of her should have been annoyed that he thought it was his job to take care of her, but the other part of her, the louder part, was amazed that despite all the things she said, he still seemed to love her. She decided this was something to consider, whenever she thought he would wake up one day and leave her. If he didn't leave her after last night, was there anything she could do that would ever make him change his mind? She pushed these thoughts to the side and went out to the forensics platform to hear about Hodgins' findings.

"Okay, so I'll skip ahead past all the scientific names, but basically based on the type of flower, the soil, and the nutrients in the roots, I've narrowed down the location to about a five mile radius in the west side of town. And get this…there's a graveyard in the area where Howard Epps is buried."

"That's gotta be it!" Brennan said, "I'll call Booth."

"Oh wait, Dr. Brennan, have you seen Angela today? I didn't go home last night, because I was working on this, but she's not answering her cell and I haven't seen her today."

"I haven't seen her either, but I'm sure she's fine. In fact, this is probably her calling right now," Brennan said, as her phone rang. She didn't recognize the number, but answered it anyway. She recognized the voice as soon as it began speaking. Her stomach dropped, it sounded just like the Gravedigger.

"_Angela Montenegro-Hodgins has been taken by the Grave Digger. You have 20 hours to transfer the amount of ten million dollars into account 435 at the Bank of Sweden. Only then will I give you the location of your friend. Otherwise, she will run out of oxygen. If you involve law enforcement, I will know, although I will allow you Agent Booth. This will be my last communication._

Brennan was frozen. She could see that Hodgins knew something was wrong, but she couldn't bring herself to form words. Eventually she looked him in the eye and said, "Our killer is imitating the Gravedigger…and he has Angela."

"No, no, this is not happening! She's pregnant! What is the ransom? I'll pay it whatever it is!" Hodgins screamed.

Cam had heard what had happened and attempted to calm Hodgins. "Dr. Hodgins, listen to me. If this was the real Gravedigger, that might have worked. Whoever this is has a personal vendetta and no amount of money is going to make them forget it. Our only shot is to go get that body in the cemetery and find Angela that way. I know this is tough, but I need to know if you can handle this."

"I can do this. I'll do this and save Angela, but as soon as we catch this son of bitch, he's mine."

"I'll call Booth. Get ready to retrieve the body," Brennan ordered. Brennan ran into her office and dialed Booth's number.

"Bones, if you're calling to yell at me for-," Booth began, but Brennan interrupted him.

"Booth, the killer has Angela….he's imitating the Gravedigger," Brennan said her voice shaking. Booth could hear the terror in her voice and his heart immediately went out to her.

"I'm on my way, Bones. Don't worry," he said as he was running out of the building to his car.

When Booth got to the lab, he saw no sign of anyone, so he ran immediately for Brennan's office. He saw her packing her recovery bag, trying to choke back tears. She turned around, hearing someone enter. When she saw Booth, the dam broke and her tears came flooding out. Booth stepped forward, holding his arms out.

"Hey, come here." She ran into her arms and he just held her, as she gripped his shirt and wept. "It's gonna be okay, Bones. We're the best. We're gonna find Angela and everything's gonna be fine," he soothed. Brennan pulled back a little to look him in the eyes. He looked totally sure of himself.

"Booth, you can't know that," she said, ever the rational scientist.

"Come on, Bones, you gotta trust me." They both knew there was hidden meaning in his words.

"Okay," Brennan said simply. He leaned down to give her a gentle kiss, which she returned fervently. It was short, but sweet. They still needed to talk, but for now their argument was forgotten and they needed to get to that cemetery to find the body. They exited her office to find Cam and Hodgins waiting for them.

"Hodgins, man, how are ya holding up?" Booth asked, putting a hand on the entomologist's shoulder.

"I'll be a lot better when we have Angela back," he replied.

"I understand," Booth said, with a quick glance toward Brennan, remembering the time a few years before when it was he who had gotten the call from the Gravedigger, "I'm here if you need anything."

"Thanks, man. Look, I really appreciate all the concern, but what I would appreciate more was if we could hurry this along and find Angela in the next 19 hours." They all nodded their agreement and headed out the doors of the lab and headed toward the cemetery.

**A/N: Okay, so I'm not completely happy with this chapter, I hadn't updated in a while so here it is! Let me know what you think! Next up: the mad rush to save Angela!**


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